This Week in the World: Women in Politics

By Ruby Rizvi, News Editor
As of 2015, America has had white presidents, a black president, and even a former actor as a president; however, we’ve yet to have a female president.

The United States has practiced the ideology of patriarchy for centuries.

Patriarchy is a system of society or government where men are the dominant figures. In America, many see men as the figure-heads for the country itself, businesses and the economy.

Although, women have made a strong effort and had an impact on the country since the founding fathers set out for independence during the revolutionary war, there is still work to be had, and awareness to be made.

Countries such as Sri Lanka, Argentina, and Algeria have all had female leaders, beating the United States and most other developed nations.

Students at Armstrong are aware of this lack of overall progressive action. “I believe that everybody, man or woman, should be granted opportunities based on their qualifications and contributions without emphasis on gender,” junior Economics major and SGA candidate Bailey Middlemas said.

The U.S. now recognizes gender equality better than ever, but the handful of women in the Senate, House of Representatives and even the Presidential cabinet is not enough. Many are ready to see a woman as the face of the nation, but society as a whole has a ways to come.

There have been many grassroots movements across the country in places such as Iowa and Massachusetts who are attempting to create funding and awareness for the political campaigns of the potential women candidates.

For the upcoming presidential elections of 2016, it’s speculated that more women will enter the race. Names such as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren could show up on the preliminary ballots for upcoming elections.

“Women still have many obstacles to overcome in today’s society,” Hunter Hart, a freshman Mechanical Pre-Engineering major and candidate for this year’s SGA elections, said. “I do not believe we will see a woman president in the next presidential election, but in the near future, with the right candidate, it will eventually happen.”

Women have certainly made their mark at Armstrong; for example, Dr. Linda M. Bleicken, Armstrong’s seventh president and the first female head of the institution.

Armstrong’s Student Government Association, or SGA, also has a strong female force, with students such as Marisol Estrada and Jasmine Sellers on the executive board, holding the offices of secretary and treasurer along with others.

“Women here at Armstrong’s Student Government Association are some of our most driven members,” Hart explained. “They commit fully to tasks at hand and work hard to promote and establish campus unity. The women of the SGA are entrusted to accomplish any job at hand and have done well showing their capability and excellence.”

In this year’s upcoming election, there are women running for three of the four executive positions, including president, secretary, and treasurer.

Although women may not be where they want to be as far as national politics are concerned, they continue to be influential figures here at Armstrong.